Apparatus for leaching ores.



No. 660,498. Patented0ct-23, |900.

J. A. FLEMING.

APPARATUS FOR LEACHING DRES.

(Appliation filed Har. 29, 1899.) ("0 MM5) I] z-sheets-sheet /N VEN 70H 7c-Unes J A TTOHNEYS.

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No. 660,498. Patented 00L 23, |900. J. A. FLEMING.

APPARATUS FUR LEACHING DRES.

(Applicatign filed Mar. 29, 1899.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES A. FLEMING, OF GLOBE, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

APPARATUS FOR LEACHING ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,498, dated October 2.3, 1900.

Application filed March 29, 1899. Serial No. 710,934. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. FLEMING, residing at Globe, in the count-y of Gila and Territory of Arizona, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Leaching Ores, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in processes of and apparatus for leaching valuable mineralssuch as gold,` silver, and copperont of ore by liquid chemicals or solution of diiferent kinds; and the invention consists in the process and construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure lis a vertical section of an 4apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View drawn above the conical hopper-plate, one-half of such plate being broken away to show the underlying perforated plate for retaining the porous filtering or leaching material; and Fig. 4t is a detail perspective view showing portions of the upper and lower plates of the hopper and of one of the bars for supporting the sections of the lower plate.

In the leaching of ores the solutions, which may be those usually employed, percolate down through the pulverized ores and carry the gold or other metal out of the ore in so-A lution, which is subsequently extracted.

By my invention I seek to provide improvements in the tank or holder, in the means for introducing the solution and for withdrawing the solution, and for compressing the pulp prior to its discharge, together with other improvements, as will be more fully described.

The tank A may be upright, as shown, or inclined so the pulverized ore will feed down therein by gravity. It has an air-tight top provided with an opening or openings A', suitably closed, and which may serve as manholes and for the introduction of the pulverized ore. It also has two nipples B, which may be valved, as shown, and connect with suitable pipes for the introduction and withdrawal of the chemical solution and Water. I also provide the top with an opening surrounded by a stuffing-box B7, through which is passed the pipe C, which is employed for inserting and withdrawing chemicals. This pipe C is movable up and down, so it can be adjusted to withdraw or introduce the solution at any desired point in the mass of pulverized ore. Alongside the tank at different vheights I provide nipples D, D, and D2 for the introduction and withdrawal of air, chemicals, water, &c.

By the described construction it is evident that the solution may be introduced and withdrawn from the top ofthe pulverized ore from the interior thereof at any height desired or from the exterior of the mass of ore at any desired height or can be introduced from above or below the top of the mass or from its interior or exterior and withdrawn at any other desired point, thus insuring a proper subjection of each portion of the mass of the ore to the solution and the thorough circulation of the solution through such mass.

Within the tankI provide the conical hopper or diaphragm E, the tank being extended below said hopper to form the air-chamber F.

The hopper E has the upper perforated plate G and the lower perforated plate I-I. The plate G has perforations c which incline downward toward the inner upper surface of the plate and prevent such perforations from becoming filled by the pulverized ores. i At the sametim ethese perforations permit the passage of the solution when desired. The plate H is also perforated and is spaced apart from the plate G, the intermediate space containing a porous leaching-filling, such as charcoal or other suitable material.

Thev lower plate H is made so it can be removed and inserted at will, being preferably made in sections H', vsupported upon bars H.2 and suitably secured so the sections H. can be removed for any desired purpose.

The plate H is perforated at h. The chamber F is an air-cl1amber and a solution-box into which the solution drains from the ore `above and may be drawn off at f.

To regulate the flow of solution into the chamber F, I admit air from a blower I or -other suitable source of supply to the said agitate the pulpabove the conical hopper and IOO so secu re a proper discharge of 'the pulverized ore and'avoid` any clogging of sucliore wl-thrny l the tank.

the tapered end of the barrel.

The leached or practically-finished pulp passes by its own gravity from the hopper through the tubeJ into the barrel K. This barrel K has the contracted discharge K', out of which the pulp is forced bythe plungerL, which maybe recprocated by any desired mechanism.

The barrel K, in advance of the tube J, is provided with the perfor-ations J, inclined to avoid clogging, such perforations extending to the contracted end of the barrel'. A removable perforated base-plate M extends beneath the perforated portion of the barrel and is spaced aparttherefrom, forminga chamber M', which receives a filling of porous filtering or leaching material, such as charcoal, hemp, asbestos, or the like. The contracted end of the barrel may be suppliedwi th movable bushings adapted to bring it to any desired size, or an automaticI ontfeeding device maybe built on this end of the plunger-barrel, if desired. As the pulp or leached ore feeds down, the plunger, which works through a stuffingboX, advances and compresses the pulp, caus ing the moisture or solution remaining therein to pass out through the perforations in the barrel. As the plunger advances farther it compresses the finished pulp almost dry in .The plunger can be operated backward or forward or, if desired, u p and down by compressed air, steam, hydraulic, or other power. The Well N, leading down from the barrel, can-also be used for discharging when desired.

Steam may be introduced through any of the pipes or nipples to heat the ore to any degree desired during the operation of the apparatus.

By the process the ore is subjected to the action of the solution and is subsequently put under pressure for the purpose of `removing the surplus solution. The tank being steam and air tight permits the economical use of steam and hot air for heating the ore and also prevents the loss of that heat `which results from the admixture of waterand sulfuric acid Vwhen such a solution is employed. The continuous operation prevents the settling or puddling of the fine particles of lthe ore, and thus enables the solution to freely circulate or percolate through the same.

The air-chamber belovt7 the diaphragm is provided with a suitably-closed manhole t', through which the operator may enter the airchamber for any purpose desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an apparatus for use in leaching ores the tank having nipples alongside and com municating with it at different heights, and a tube introduced through its top and movable up and down whereby it may be adjusted to different heights, and said tank having, at its top, nipples for the introduction of and withdrawal of chemicals all Vsubstantially as described whereby the solution maybe introduced or withdrawn above the mass of ore or from any height at the interior or exterior of' such mass of ore substantially as set forth.

2. An apparatus comprisingatank having an inlet and a discharge so the ore may pass 'in operation through the apparat us and means for compressing the pulp whereby to remove the surplus solutiontherefrom and means for withdrawing the main portion of the solution in' advance of the compressing means substantially asset forth.

3. An apparatus substantially as described comprisingt-he air and steam tight tank hav.- ing a perforated diaphragm and an air-chamber below the same and means for introducing air under pressure into said chamber the tank being permanently closed at its top during the introduction of the air-pressure into said chamber substantially as set forth.

4. An apparatus for use in extracting metal from ore comprising the tank adapted to contain the pulverized ore, means for introducing and withdrawing the treating solutions at different heights through the side of the tank and a vpipe inserted from Without into the tank and' movable vertically at its inner end whereby-its said end may be set to different levels within the tank substantially as set forth.

5. In an apparatus, substantially as described, the combination ot' the air and steam tight tank -having a perforated lteringhopper having a central pulp-discharge and pro'- vided below the hopper and surrounding said pulp-discharge with an air-chamber, means for controlling the discharge of the pulp, and devices whereby to establish air-pressure in the air-chamber, the tank being constructed to .be permanently closed above the hopper during the introduction of pressure' to the chamber below the hopper substantially as set forth.

6. In an apparatus for extracting metal from ores the tank provided with the closed top having the stuffing-box and the nipple or nipples, the nipples arranged at dierent heights along its side, the pipe movable longitudinally through the stuffing-box, and the perforated diaphragm substantially as set forth.

7. In an apparatus substantially as described the combination of the tank having the perforated diaphragm ,and an air-chamber below the same, and an air-compressor by which to establish air-pressure in said chamber substantially as set forth.

8. An apparatus for extracting metal comprising the tank having a pulp-dischargeand the perforated diaphragm and the air-chamber below the same, the perforated dischargebarrel connectedwith the pulp-discharge of the tank and having the contracted end, and

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the plunger operating in said barrel substan- -l tially as set forth.

9. ln an apparatus substantially as described the discharge-barrel having perforations inclining rearwardly toward their outer ends as described and having the removable perforated underlying plate and the filling between said plates, and the plunger operating in the said barrel substantially as set forth.

10. An apparatus substantially as described comprising the tank having the closed top, the stnjng-box, the pipe movable longitudinally through such stuffing-box whereby it may be adjusted within the tank, the nipples arranged at dierent heights along the side of the tank, the perforated diaphragm forming an air-space at the bottom of the tank, means for establishing air-pressure in said chamber, the discharge-barrel and the plu nger operating therein substantially as set forth.

ll. An ore-leaching apparatus comprising the tank having a pulp-discharge, a filteringdaphragm in said tank, means for establishing pressure below said diaphragm whereby to control the passage of the solution through it, means by which tocontrol the introduction of chemicals to and their Withdrawal from that portion of the tank above the diaphragm, and mechanism connected with the tank whereby to extract the surplus solution from the pulp discharged from the tank substantially as set forth.

l2. In an ore-leaching apparatus the combination with the leaching-tank having a pulpdischarge of the conical perforated filteringhopper therein having the discharge for the pulp, means by Which to maintain air-pressurebelow the diaphragm whereby to control the flow of solution through it, means for the introduction and Withdrawal of chemicals to and from the body of the tank above the iiltering-diaphragm, and devices for controlling the discharge of the pulp from the tank substantialy as set forth.

JAMES A. FLEMING. Vitnesses:

DANIEL DooLITTLE, ROBERT F. GARNETT. 

